Irrigator assembly



United States lPatentV 2,9o2g036 y IRRIGATOR ASSEMBLY Murle Perry,Minneapolis, Minn. Application December 20, '1954, Serial-VNO. 476,456

7 claims. (ci. 12s- 253)v This invention relates to irrgators andparticularly to an irrigator bag permitting the use of a thin flexibledisposable bag unit.

For many years it has been a problem to provide-an irrigator which wouldpermit the use of a relatively inexpensive disposable bag. This, ofcourse, has many advantages among which is the use of irrigators inhospitals where it is obviously desirable to provide entirely new andprevously unused bag units for each patient.

It is an object of my present invention to provide an irrigator whichcan be quickly and easily mounted on the body of a wearer and whichpermits the use of a disposable bag made from inexpensive thinwaterproof sheet material.

It is another object to provide an irrigator assembly providing meansfor reinforcingnot only the stoma receiving opening through the bag topermit secure and positive attachment of the bag to the body of a wearerbut also for reinforcing an opening in the outerportion of the bag topermit an irrigator tube to be extended therethrough.

It is still a further object to provide a pair of reinforcing andclamping elements fortightlyl clamping the These and other objects andadvantages of my inven- Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of thestructure shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a rear elevational View ofthe bag per se.

As illustrated vinthe `accompanying drawings Iprovide a clampingassembly for converting into an irrigator, a Colostomy or ileostomyappliance using a disposable bag made from suitable thin waterproofsheet material such as polyethylene plastic. The polyethylene bag ismounted on the body of the wearer in position fto surround and receivefrom the stoma as shown in Fig. 2. A clamping and mounting assemblygenerally similar to that disclosed in my copending application SerialNo. 476,465, filed December 20, 1954 for United States Letters Patententitled Improved Colostomy and Ileostomy Appliance and now Patent No.2,787,270, is provided incorporating clamping elements or rings 10 and11 wherein an insert ring 10 is received in tightly clamped relationwithin an outer clamping ring 11. The ring 11 is of course, providedwith -an annular flange portion and an outwardly extending substantiallycylindrical attachment and clamping portion. The outer pe- ICC ripheryofthe insert ring 10 and the inner periphery of the clampingr ring 11are slightly tapered to insure a positive clamped fit and the two ringsmay be positively locked together by suitable clips such as thepivotally mounted clips 12. A retaining ring 13 to which anchoring belts14 are connected surrounds the outwardly extending cylindrical portionof the clamping ring 11 and permits rotation thereof while positivelyholding said ring and insert member clamped therein to the body of thewearer. The bag illustrated is designated by the numeral 15 and is, ofcourse, closed at the top and has a releasable closure assembly 16 forsealing the lower end thereof.

A pair of clamping elements made from any suitable rigid easily cleanedmaterial are provided and are adapted to securely clamp a portion of theouter layer of the bag therebetween yas best shown in Figs. l and 2. Asbest shown in Fig. 4, the upper portions of the two layers of the baghave a pair of openings respectively formed therethrough. The openingthrough the inner layer is designated by the numeral 15a and is largerthan the opening 15b through the outer layer and is only slightlysmaller than the outer diameter of the insert member 10. The two outerclamping members are respectively designated by the numerals 17 and 18.The inner member 17 has an outwardly extending sleeve element 17a andaninwardly disposed clamping flange 17b fixed therearound. The outermember 18 has a passage therethrough adapted to receive the sleeve 17ain tight fitting relation with an enlarged recess 18a surrounding theinner portion of said passage and having a size to tightly receive andclamp the enlarged flange portion 17b of the inner member. The opening15b through the outer layer of the bag 15 is of a size to permit thesleeve 17a to be received therethrough but is substantially smaller thanthe outside diameter of the clamping flange 17b so that the marginalportion of the material surrounding said opening may be tightly clampedbetween both the peripheral and annular portions of the ange 17b whensaid inner member is received within said outer member as shown in Fig.2. While the marginal portion of the bag material surrounding theopening 15b is tightly clamped in Sealed relation between the flangeportion 171) and the wall defining the recess 18a, the two clampingmembers 17 and 18 are seceurely held together by the frictionalresistance between the outside surface of the sleeve 17a and the insidesurface of the outer member 18 which defines the sleeve receivingpassage. The sleeve 17a has a tapered passage formed therethrough toreceive the irrigator tube -in sealed relation therethrough and is alsoadapted to receive the tapered plug member 19 to positively seal andclose said passage.

The opening through the sleeve portion 17a is adapted to receive anirrigator tube such as the catheter 26 which is then inserted into thestoma for irrigation purposes. Fig. 2 shows the outer reinforcingassembly before the same has been pressed inwardly against the stoma toform a seal against the outer end thereof. It is well known that stomasmay vary greatly in length and protrusion from the body and it is,therefore, necessary to provide an opening through insert member 10which is suiciently large to permit the outer reinforcing member 13 tobe received ytherethrough and pressed tight against the portion of thebody of the wearer surrounding the stoma if necessary to provide therequired seal around the catheter tube and prevent leakage around thestoma opening. Obviously the inside diameter of the sleeve 17a issuiciently small to form a relatively tight seal fit with the -outsidediameter of an irrigator tube such as the catheter tube 20.

It will be seen that I have provided a highly efficient yet relativelysimple means for converting a Colostomy appliance into an irrigatorhaving. a disposable bag made from relatively inexpensive thin exiblesheet material such as the polyethylene plastic bag illustrated. The bagf5 which'. is shown in the drawing isk considerablyI more ilexible thanthe bag shown in my previously issued United States Patent No.2,504,572,4 wherein. a rubber bag is disclosed. Obviously! it is' Wellknown: that; the rubber bags are considerably more expensive andV alsothat rubber is somewhat more porous than is polyethylfene plastic orother suitable inexpensive sheet materials which are now available.However, since these inexpensive sheet materials are not as strong andresilientas rubber, it is necessary to provide a suitable reinforcingassembly around each ofthe openings made in the bag side walls and afterconsiderable experimentation, I have found that the clamping seal formedby two cooperating members securely anchoring a portion of the sheetmaterial therebetween is the mostv suitable Way of providing thisreinforcing. In hospital use, it is, of course, desirable to use a freshnew bag for each patient rather than using a sterilized rubber bag whichhas previously been used by others and upon such use has becomediscolored toI a substantial extent. With the inexpensive sheetmaterials such as are ypresently available, it isV obviously possiblefrom the economic standpoint to provide fresh new bags for eachindividual' patient.

It will, of course, be understood thatvarious changes may be made in theform, details, arrangement, and proportions of the parts withoutdeparting from the scope of my invention which generally stated consistsVin the matter set forth in the appended claims. While other mak terialsmay be suitable for the clamping members 17- and 18 as well as the innerinsert ring 10, Il have found that methyl methacrylate resin providesthe best results ofany of the materials with which I amy familiar sinceit is relatively hard and unbreakableI as well as being capable of beingeasily cleaned.

What is claimed is: 1

l. An irrigator comprising abag made from thin flexible Waterproof sheetmaterial having an opening through the inner layer thereof and a secondopening through the outer layer thereof in generally opposed relationtothe inner opening, mounting means connected to the" inner layer ofsaid bag around said` inner opening for connecting the bag to the bodyof a wearer in position4 to receive through said inner opening from the`stoma, tube receiving means surrounding the opening in said outer layerand having clamping connection with the outer layer adjacent the openingperiphery, and said tube-receiving means having an aperture to permit anirrigator' tube to be inserted therethrough in substantial alignmentwith the stoma to permit irrigation.

2. An irrigator comprising. a bag made from thin flexible waterproofsheet material having a pair of generally opposed openings formedthrough the upper portion thereof, a pair of cooperating interttingannular members positively clamped around one of the openings to definea stoma receiving opening on` the inner side of said bag, meansinterconnecting said members to the body of a wearer, a pair of clampingelements surrounding the other opening and positively clamped to theportion of the material surrounding said aperture, an opening throughsaid clamping means to permit an irrigation tube to be insertedtherethrough, thewinnensurface of one of said members adjacent the stomareceiving opening being constructed to sealingly engage the outerextremity of the stoma to prevent leakage around, said tubel during theirrigation operation.

3. The structure set forth in` claim 2' andl the opening defined by theannular members being larger than the dimensions of the exteriorclamping elements to permit said elements to be received within saidinner members and pressed tightly against the body of the wearer ifnecessary to form the required seal. v

4".V An irrigator comprisinga bag made from-thinhighly diexiblevwaterproof material having al pair ofv generally aligned openingstherethrough, Areinforcing means clamped to-the bagV peripherally ofboth of saidy openings, attachment means connected with one of saidlreinforcing means to attach the same to the -body of a wearer and theother t thin flexible Waterproof sheet matealhaving an opening throughthe inner layer thereofv and a second opening throughl the outer layerthereof in' generally opposed relation to said inner opening, an annularmounting member having an inwardly projecting peripheral rib constructedto surround the stoma of the wearer in radially spaced relationtherefrom, clamping means for sealingly attaching the bag to saidmount-ing member, tensioning means for positively holding said mountingmember with the peripheral inwardly protruding portion securely engagingthe body of the wearer to form a peripheral seal against theV wearersvbody, means surrounding the outer opening in said bag to reinforce` thesame and -dening an irrigator tube receiving passage therethrough tosealingly embrace a tube' inserted through saidpassage and permitirrigation.

'6ry The structure set forth in claim 5 and said clamping meansconsisting in an annular clamping ring closely surrounding said annularlmounting member to sealingly anchorv the portion of said bag surroundingthe inner opening and` positively reinforce the same.

7'. The structure set forth in claim 5 anda cooperating femaleY clampingmember constructed for cooperation with said reinforcing member topositively clamp the mar'- ginal .portion of the bag materialtherebetweenV and form a peripheral seal therearound.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

